Copyright: Copyright © 2AM Inc. 1997


Arriving in the Game

What You See on Arrival

What You Must Do in the Game


Assault

Note: This order is not yet implemented.

This order tells the soldier/team to run as fast as possible to the designated point on the battlefield. Whilst running to the target location, the soldier will stop at random intervals and fire rounds or bursts at the target location, or at any enemy soldiers he observes in his field of vision..

In the case of a team, the point selected will be the center point of the team's formation and the team will form up around this point using their present deployment.

A soldier when assaulting will be less likely to observe a camouflaged enemy than one who is stationary or moving slowly.

A soldier when assaulting automatically comes under a Fire at Will order, but will not stop to engage an observed target, except at random intervals as part of the assault procedure, until he has reached his target destination. Then he will immedaitely revert to Fire at Will for self-protection.


Building Corners

Building walls totally block Line-of-Sight and also block small arms fire. At the corners of buildings soldiers can peer out and get the excellent protection afforded them by the building wall.

Just move your soldier close to the corner (without exposing him to view) and then use the Face... order to point him in the desired direction. The soldier will peer around the corner but will be very hard to hit (from that direction).


Building Wall

Building walls come in two types: stone and wood.

At the moment these are no different, although in future versions rockets will be able to penetrate and destroy wood walls with greater ease.

Building walls completely block Line-of-Sight and small arms fire does not penetrate them.


Command Structure and Points

In the current version all players join the game with the rank of PFC.

In the finished version players will receive ranks based on their performance. It goes like this:

All troops will begin as PFCs in command of single four-man fireteams. When a player joins a game (either the current continuous game or a Scenario) he will have a commanders, another player, who also has his own four-man team. He may also have his own commander.

As the forces capture objectives and kill the enemy, the commanders will be given Promotion Points. These Points are do not benefit the commander who gets them. He gets them only to give out to his subordinates. A player who is given sufficient Promotion Points by other players gets promoted, and can then have other players under his command and give them Points.

The giving and withholding of Promotion Points are the only real sanction a player has on subordinate players. He can give orders, and another player may refuse those orders. This relationship has to be worked out between the players themselves.


Contents

Introduction

Controlling Your Soldiers

Terrain

Tactics


Controlling Your Soldiers

How to Control Your Soldiers

The Orders


Crawl To

This order tells the soldier/team to crawl slowly to the designated point on the battlefield.

In the case of a team, the point selected will be the center point of the team's formation and the team will form up around this point using their present deployment.

A crawling soldier will be alert to the appearance of enemy soldiers within his field of vision, but less so than if he were upright.

A crawling soldier is far less vulnerable to enemy fire than when running or when walking.


Different Weapons

Currently all soldiers are armed with a generic semi-automatic rifle.

We will be adding the full the full armory of fire weapons that was available to soldiers of the US and German forces in this theater at the squad /platoon level: Thompson and MP 38/40 submachine guns, M1 Garand and KAR98k rifles, BARs, MG34 and MG42 machine guns, M1 carbines, Panzerfausts, Panzershcrecks and Bazookas, and Browning .30 cal. machine guns.

All these weapons characteristics will be fully reflected in the game because of their effect on tactics - rates of fire, accuracy, handiness, magazine capacity, etc.


Distraction

Soldiers in combat are under great pressure, and one of the effects of this pressure is more tunneled vision. When soldiers see the enemy and are firing at them, they cannot look around them - all their attention is concentrated on the enemy who is currently threatening them.

Thus it is possible to engage enemy troops with one team from one direction, and thus distract them, while other teams move to more favorable fire positions in another direction.


Doorways

These are entry/exit points to/from buildings.

A soldier standing in a doorway is fully exposed to fire that can hit the doorway.

However, a soldier can stand beside a doorway and peer out, and then he gets the enormous benefit of the cover given by the wall.


Down/Up

This changes a soldier's pose from Up to Down and vice versa. If the soldier is moving he stops and the move order is canceled.

A Down soldier is far less vulnerable to enemy fire than is an Up one.


Exchanging Weapons and Carrying Wounded

Currently all soldiers carry one weapon type. In the future a soldier will be able to exchange his weapon with that of another soldier. The interface will display what the soldier is carrying in terms of weapons and ammunition.

The soldier will be able to pick up objects on the ground - this includes incapacitated soldiers, thus enabling the latter to be evacuated from the battlefield.


Face...

This tells the soldier/team to face a location on the battlefield.

Soldiers can observe targets within 60 degrees (either side) of the direction which they are facing.


Field

Flat open meadowland.

This terrain is easy for soldiers to move across, but provides no protection from for and does not block Line-of Sight.


Fire at

This tells the soldier/team to fire at a location or soldier on the battlefield.

This soldier/team will face toward that target and open fire on it.

If the target is a soldier this order will be carried out until the target is no longer visible or is killed.

If the target is a location this order will be carried out until any other order is given (except Down/Up).


Fire at Will

This tells the soldier/team that observes enemy soldiers to stop whatever they are doing and engage those enemies immediately.

This order sets up a condition for the soldier/team. and in no way interferes with the soldier's/team's other current action.

This order enables soldiers to defend themselves without the player having to order this specifically. They are constantly searching for targets in a 120 degree pattern and if they spot one they will stop and engage it.

If a soldier has a Run To order and the observed target is beyond 20 meters range, the soldier will not stop and engage the target but will continue running.


Grenade

Note: This order is not yet implemented.

This order tells the soldier to prepare a fragmentation grenade and throw it to the designated target location.


Grenades and Smoke

Fragmentation and smoke grenades will be fully represented (they already have buttons in the Interface). They will  accurately reflect their proper tactical employment. Fragmentation grenades will stun soldiers in their burst radius and may injure or kill them. Smoke will block Line-of-Sight.


Hedgerow

Normandy hedgerow

This terrain is a unique and characteristic feature of the Normandy battlefields. In the hundreds of years before WW2, Norman farmers had bordered their fields with lines of saplings,  then bent the tops down and buried them into the earth. Around this they had planted sweetbriar or hawthorn, and as they had cleared their fields of stones which they had tossed to the edges of the field, this thick tangle of branches and thorns grew and thickened and eventually rested on a high bank of earth and stones.

This terrain is impassable for soldiers except at special access points. It blocks Line-of-Sight and provides excellent protection against fire coming across it.

A soldier upright behind a hedgerow is visible to soldiers the other side of the hedgerow, and they are to him, although they will have difficulty spotting him (the spotting uncertainty will be implemented in a future demo version).

A soldier down behind a hedgerow cannot see or be seen from beyond the hedgerow, and is immune to fire from beyond the hedgerow.


Hold Fire

This tells the soldier/team not to engage any target with fire no matter what the circumstances. Soldiers already firing will immediately cease firing.

This order sets up a condition for the soldier/team. and in no way interferes with the soldier's/team's other current action.

This order allows you to hold soldiers' fire until a more favorable fire opportunity presents itself.

Note: Soldiers under this order will not fire even if their lives are threatened.


How to Control Your Soldiers

Use the Interface window to tell your soldiers what to do.

The top row of commands gives orders to the entire fireteam.

The other four rows give orders, each row to an individual soldier.

The top row gives orders to the soldier with one dot, the second to the soldier with two, and so on.

The method of giving an order is simple:

Click on the order that you want to give to the group or to a particular soldier.

Click on a target location on the map (where relevant).

See also:

The Orders


Improved Graphics

2AM is working a whole new set of graphics for the game. The overall perspective will remain as it is, but there will be smoother, more realistic soldiers, and full effects (tracers, explosions, etc.).


Introduction

Introduction to the Test-Demo Version

What You Must Do in the Game

What You See on Arrival


Introduction to the Test-Demo Version

This version of Chain of Command that you are now playing is a test-bed currently being used for development purposes. Many things that will be in the final version are currently missing from this test-bed and are in development.

This test bed is constantly being updated as the new features are completed.

Some of the things you will see in future versions include:

Command Structure and Points.

Improved Graphics

Uncertain Observation.

Sound Effects.

Different Weapons

Grenades and Smoke

Soldier Qualities

Wounds Model

Scenarios

Exchanging Weapons and Carrying Wounded

This is not an exhaustive list. You are welcome to send any comments to the designer at mgg@2am.com.


Movement Types

Each of the three types of movement confers different costs and benefits.

Walking

Walking is a slow way of getting around, but does not fatigue the soldiers (the fatigue model will be implemented in a later version). However, walking soldiers are more alert and are more likely to observe an enemy lurking behind a hedgerow (the uncertainty of observation is not yet implemented). Soldiers walking in the open are highly exposed to enemy fire.

Running

Running is the fastest way to get around. Running fatigues soldiers, but the speed of movement makes a running soldier more difficult to hit (especially if the soldier is running perpendicular to the enemy's Line-of-Sight). Soldiers running do not observe well and less likely to observe hiding enemy soldiers. Running soldiers take a little longer to bring their weapons to fire (they must stop).

Crawling

Crawling is by far the slowest way of moving, but it provides the greatest protection to a soldier in the open. A crawling soldier has less chance of observing an enemy than a walking one, but more than a running one.


Path

Dirt or gravel path.

These paths provided access to the fields.

Paths are easy for soldiers to traverse, do not block Line-of-Sight and provide no protection from incoming fire.


Road

Tarmac road.

This terrain is easy for soldiers to traverse, does not block Line-of-Sight, and provides no protection form incoming fire.


Run To

This order tells the soldier/team to run as fast as possible to the designated point on the battlefield.

In the case of a team, the point selected will be the center point of the team's formation and the team will form up around this point using their present deployment.

A soldier when running will be less likely to observe a camouflaged enemy than one who is stationary or moving slowly.

A soldier when running and who is under a Fire at Will order will not stop to engage an observed target unless that target is at less than 20 meters range.


Safety Zones

Safety zones are regions on the battlefield that are sufficiently far to the rear (near the map edge) that fireteams can safely use them to arrive at and leave the battlefield.

To get one's men off the battlefield, a player will have to move them all to a safety zone and then exit them. Failure to do so in the continuous game increases the chances that the player was killed. Failure to do so in a scenario results in the fireteam remaining on the map. In some scenarios this is OK (if, for example, the players side holds the field), in others a fireteam may have to escape to survive.


Scenarios

There will be two versions of the game. One, based on the current version, is the continuous game, The Endless War. In this players join and leave when they like - they are assigned to sides by the computer to establish balance, they then are assigned to commanders or to commands, and the players play for as long as they like. When the player wants to leave he withdraws his men to a Safety Zone and then leaves the game.

The other version is the scenarios. Scenarios are preset battles that require a minimum number of players per side, have specific objectives for each side. The players enter the scenario all together from the Game Club, and then the scenario begins. Other players may not enter after this point.

At then end of the scenario the commanders assign such Promotion Points as have been gained to their subordinate players.


Smoke

Note: This order is not yet implemented.

This order tells the soldier to prepare a smoke grenade and throw it to the designated target location.

If the soldier is under a Fire at Will command and a target presents itself at less then 20 meters, this order is canceled and the soldier will engage the target.


Soldier Qualities

Soldiers will be rated for four different qualities: observation, marksmanship, aim speed and coolness. All ratings improve as a soldier goes through more battles.

Observation

The higher a soldier's Observation rating, the more likely he will observe a hidden enemy soldier sooner.

Marksmanship

The better marksman a soldier is, the more likely he is to hit a target he is shooting at.

Aim Speed

The higher a soldier's Aim Speed, the faster he is capable of bringing his weapon to bear on the enemy. Note that at close range this is a more important factor than marksmanship, because at very close ranges hitting the target is not the problem, but firing before the enemy does is.

Coolness

The "cooler" a soldier, the less susceptible he is to the effects of suppression. Cooler soldiers will be more reliable at putting out better fire, even when they are under heavy fire themselves.


Sound Effects

The current version is somewhat silent. Full sound effects, gunshots, explosions etc, will be supplied quite soon.


Stone Wall

Low stone wall used in villages and hamlets.

This terrain cannot be crossed by soldiers (in an upcoming version soldiers will be able to climb over walls).

A soldier upright behind a wall can see and be seen from beyond the wall, although he is difficult to spot (the spotting uncertainty will be implemented in a future demo version). The wall provides excellent protection from incoming fire.

A soldier lying down behind a wall cannot see or be seen from beyond the wall, unless the target is upright. If a there is a stone wall between an upright soldier and a down soldier, they can see each other only if the upright soldier is closer to the wall than the down one.


Suppressive Fire

It takes a good many rounds fired at soldiers under cover to produce a single hit at most combat ranges. However, such fire is not wasted, as all fire, even against soldiers under cover, will suppress the targets.

There are two effects of suppression:

Mildly suppressed soldiers will tend to fire more wildly,spending less time aiming. Their fire is thus far less effective.

Severely suppressed soldiers will cease aiming and not fire at all.

When you move soldiers and there is a danger of exposure to enemy fire, the move should be covered by suppressive fire. This may require that one or more fireteams move, as one or more fireteams  provide suppressive fire. For this reason you must coordinate the actions of your fireteam with those of the other players on your side and, where there are players who are commanders orchestrating such maneuvers, you should obey their orders.


Tactics

Using Cover

Suppressive Fire

Distraction

Movement Types


Terrain

The various terrain types have a critical effect on combat. Terrain can protect from fire, block Line-of-Sight, and/or impede movement.

The following list explains what you can expect from each terrain type.

Field

Hedgerow

Path

Road

Stone Wall

Building Wall

Windows

Doorways

Building Corners


The Orders

The following list gives an explanation of what the orders mean.

Fire Orders

Fire at

Fire at Will

Hold Fire

Movement Orders

Run To

Walk To

Crawl To

Assault

Static Orders

Face...

Down/Up

Grenades

Grenade

Smoke


Uncertain Observation.

In the current version, if a Line-of-Sight exists between soldiers, and they are facing one another, they will see each other.

However, pretty soon we will be changing this so that several factors are taken into account. First of all there is the camouflage of the target. A soldier behind a hedgerow or a window will be harder to spot than one behind a stone wall.

Second, all soldiers will be rated for observation ability (See Soldier Qualities). This ability will get better as soldiers gain experience. As it gets better soldiers will be more likely to spot camouflaged enemy troops more quickly.


Using Cover

A soldier behind cover (hedgerows, stone walls, windows, peering out from doorways and around building corners) is enormously less vulnerable to incoming fire than soldiers in the open. You should keep your men under cover as much as possible.

Additionally, a soldier who does not expose himself (by attaining an Up posture behind hedgerows, stone walls and windows, or by facing around doors and building corners) is completely invulnerable to incoming fire across those obstacles.

Such cover protects against fire coming from one direction. Therefore it should be one of your objectives to outflank enemy soldiers, thus bringing fire on them from a direction against which the cover provides no protection.


Walk To

This order tells the soldier/team to walk steadily to the designated point on the battlefield.

In the case of a team, the point selected will be the center point of the team's formation and the team will form up around this point using their present deployment.

A walking soldier will be alert to the appearance of enemy soldiers within his field of vision.

A walking soldier is very vulnerable to enemy fire, more so than when running or when crawling.


What You Must Do.in the Game
What You Must Do in the Game

In the current version of Chain of Command you must clear the battlefield of enemy soldiers.

You do this by sending your own soldiers to seek out and engage the enemy.

You will find that it is a tough job to do by yourself, so you will need to team up with other soldiers of your own side in order to succeed.

Note: In future versions of this game you may find that you are under another player's command, or indeed, you may be the commander of other players.

Your task will then be to advance in rank (over time, not in a single appearance at the game) and develop the best fireteam of soldiers in the theater of operations.

As a soldier under someone else's command, you will be given Promotion Points by your commander at his/her whim, depending on how well you carry out his/her orders in combat.

As a commander, you will be receive Promotion Points that you can give to your subordinate players. You will get Promotion Points for capturing terrain and for killing enemy soldiers. You can then give these promotion points to your subordinates as you see fit.

Be careful. If one of your men is killed, there is a 25% chance of that being YOU, and you will then be removed from the game. You may reenter, but starting with a new team and with the beginning rank of PFC.

All players will be rated in the Game Club for the performance of their current fireteam, and for their overall performance at Chain of Command. So, while getting killed is bad news, is does not send you immediately to the bottom of the overall performance table.


What You See on Arrival

When you arrive in the game you are assigned to either the German or American forces. The computer does this for you.

German soldiers are dressed in field gray. American troops wear khaki.

You see a small area of the battlefield, your own soldiers, and possibly the soldiers of one or more other players.

Your own soldiers are identified by the appearance of small yellow dots under them.

Other players' soldiers are identified by the appearance of the names of their player-commander above and to the right of the soldier images.

You can control your own soldiers using the Interface. Other soldiers of your side and the enemy are controlled by their player-commanders.

See also:

How to Control Your Soldiers.


Windows

This terrain cannot be crossed by soldiers (in an upcoming version soldiers will be able to climb through windows).

A soldier upright behind a window can see and be seen from beyond the window, although he is difficult to spot (the spotting uncertainty will be implemented in a future demo version). The wall provides excellent protection from incoming fire.

A soldier lying down behind a window cannot see or be seen from beyond the window, unless the target is upright. If a there is a window between an upright soldier and a down soldier, they can see each other only if the upright soldier is closer to the window than the down one.


Wounds Model

Currently, when a soldier is hit he is killed and does not present any more worry for his player-commander.

In the future there will be simple categories of wound, ranging from minor wound (minimum effect on performance) to killed.

Whenever a player finishes a scenario, or whenever a soldier is killed in the continuous game, there is a possibility that the player himself was killed. Should that happen, the player begins the next game as a PFC and with entirely fresh (green!) soldiers. The probability is 25% for every soldier in the fireteam either killed or left abandoned in the field.

This means that the players must protect their men. If a man is incapacitated he cannot move under his own power and must be carried to a safety zone by another of his fireteam, or he will count as killed at the end of the scenario or when the player leaves the continuous game. Players will be able to designate men to carry casualties.

Note; this feature means that the evacuation of wounded men becomes very important to their commanders, and it is likely that they will need the help of at least one other friendly team in order to assist in a successful evacuation.